Charges laid after dog dies in car amid heat wave

Calgary’s humane society has laid charges against a man after a dog died from being left in a vehicle in the midst of the city’s scorching heat wave.

As outside temperatures soared to 31C on July 9, the female black lab was left in a car in Penbrooke Meadows without the windows cracked and with no water, said Brad Nichols, senior manager of cruelty investigations with the Calgary Humane Society.

It’s unclear to investigators exactly how long the dog was in the car, and the humane society was unaware of it until they received a call from another agency last Wednesday, days after the animal perished.

“We can’t say for certain how long the dog would have lived, but there was a four-day turnaround,” Nichols said.

“The windows were shut and there was no water in the car.”

Nichols said while Calgary’s temperature hit an already sweltering 31C, the temperatures in the car would have been significantly higher. Investigators have determined the official cause of death was hyperthermia, or extremely elevated body heat.

The effect of that kind of heat on an animal can be devastating, Nichols said, adding the incident gruesomely illustrates the dangers of leaving animals inside a vehicle during hot weather.

“To put it bluntly, the animal cooks from the inside — the organs just shut down,” he said.

“They do far worse than we would as humans — we have coping mechanisms like sweating.”

Because the case is before the courts, Nichols said the humane society can’t discuss some of the details, but noted the accused has been co-operative with investigators.

On Monday, Jeremy Quaile, 45, of Calgary, was charged under the Animal Protection Act for causing an animal to be in distress, an offence that can lead to a fine of as much as $20,000 and a lifetime ban on owning animals, if convicted.

Nichols said such extreme cases of animals being left in hot vehicles are rare — the latest death is the only one he can recall during his time with the humane society.

However, he noted the humane society in partnership with police, fire department and city animal services respond to hundreds of calls about animals left in vehicles every summer, although officials are usually able to intervene before any serious damage is done.

“Generally, people tend to be better about it when the weather goes above 30C — we have the most difficulty when the temperatures are around the mid-20s,” Nichols said.

“The basic message is leave your dog at home. There are many excuses to bring your dog with you, but it’s just too risky.”